30 April 2012

Perks: Stroll hand in hand down pretty lanes, fall in love with nature's beauty, picnic and frolic on the green hills.

Attend a local flower festival or garden show. Enjoy the spring air as you discover plants you haven't heard of before. If you plan ahead of time you can pack a pretty picnic and take a frisbee along to play the evening away.

If you have any spring date ideas please share them. Spring is the time to fall in love all over again and again! We love all the creative ideas we can get!!!

29 April 2012

Remember the days when you were courting your spouse and you noticed all their positive attributes. You seldom mentioned or noticed any of their negative traits. You found their differences intriguing or exciting. You knew how to make your partner feel valued and loved. I know you can remember those days and right now you are probably thinking what happened to that guy or girl I was dating. We all have this lovey-dovey stage and the longer a couple is together the farther we drift away from that stage. Instead of automatically noticing the positives you now find yourself automatically noticing the negatives. Since your focus is on the negatives these are the things you naturally pay attention to and what you tend to comment on.

John Gottman, a marriage relationship expert, has a great formula to keep couples happy and away from divorce. He suggests you aim for a 5:1 ratio of positive to negative interactions. This positive interaction of love, interest, and generosity can be in the form of verbal and non verbal cues. Even if you are angry with your partner or feeling resentful just try this for a week and see what happens. If you can't muster up a 5:1 ratio start with 2:1 then gradually move up, a little start is better then nothing.

Now if you are thinking I can't possibly think of 2 let alone 5 nice things to say to my spouse in one day then you have lost perspective. Each individual has more good qualities and strengths then bad. Each person is better then any of their mistakes. Every relationship has a few good qualities. So if you are finding it hard to focus on the good it is because you have forgotten to take notice and comment on the positive.

Your challenge for this week is starting today change your perspective and notice all the good in your spouse and comment on them! Make your spouse feel seen and cared for by aiming for that 5:1 ratio.

Hopefully your weather is better then ours! We are having rain and wind storms. So a date outside is probably out of the question unless we want to blow away or freeze! Of course spring is known for storms so here's an indoor date for all of us who want to pretend we are outdoors. Grab a few bags of glow in the dark stars. Put them on the ceiling and walls of the room you plan to have your picnic in. Keep the lights on for a few hours before and during your picnic. Get a cute basket and put your picnic together. Remember this is an easy and quick date idea so don't go crazy making all sorts of fancy stuff, unless you have time. Lay down a blanket, collect a few pillows, and your picnic is ready! After your picnic remember to turn out the lights and enjoy your night laying under the stars!

How many of you expecting mothers and fathers find yourself on a downward sex spiral? The wife doesn't feel good or is very self conscious. The husband is worried about financial stress of a new baby and might not like all the changes in his wife's body. Pregnancy brings along many challenges but also brings along many highlights. Having a rich sexual life during pregnancy is possible if you two communicate. If you are unsure about sex during pregnancy ask your health care professional to discuss any issues you have concerns about. Once you have cleared up those issues make sure you two keep all lines of communication completely open. If you can talk about sex you will find it easier to talk about pregnancy issues too. For the wife, mention when you aren't feeling so hot. Let your spouse know that you need his compliments to feel sexy. For men, remind your wife of the reasons you love her from the inside out and give her a plethora of compliments so she will feel desired and wanted. Don't second guess each other and try imagine what your spouse is thinking. Just put it all out there. This will be sure to help after the baby arrives too! When you both are tired, attention is being pulled here and there, and there is no longer downtime available, sometimes all anyone needs to hear is "I love you and you are so hot, but I have spit up in places I can't even see. Maybe tomorrow before we crawl out of bed?"

In a medium sized pot add oil and move pot around to make sure it coats bottom. Turn stove to medium heat. Dump rice into pot and coat rice completely with oil. If some of your rice isn't shiny add a little bit more oil. Brown rice until it reaches a nice toasted color. This should take around 10 minutes or so. Occasionally mix rice around so that rice doesn't burn. If rice burns you need to dump it. A little bit of burnt rice makes the whole batch taste burnt.

While rice is toasting chop tomatoes, dice cilantro, and open cans. Remember to occasionally take a peek at your browning rice.

Once rice is toasted. add in the tomatoes, onions (if using them), and corn. Lightly mix all items around. The onions should get a little clear and the tomatoes will get a little mushy. Carefully pour in your chicken stock. The stock will sizzle violently for a bit, no worries! Then add in your tomato sauce. Mix everything around. Add in your chicken and cilantro. Give it one more swirl around the pot. Let the sauce come to a boil. Toss in your jalapeno's and cover pot with a lid. Turn heat down to simmer. Simmer rice for 25 minutes.

Once rice is cooked remove from heat and fluff with fork. Scoop rice into a pretty dish and you're ready to serve.

Perks: Get dirty, slippery, and wet while working your butt off, laugh like you've never done it before, and find out that you're tough enough together!

Dirty Dash

Ok so seriously, those of you who personally know me, you know that races aren't my thing. But after hearing about these races from a few of my friends I decided to do a little investigating...To my surprise these races look tough but ridiculously fun, so now I'm tempted to do one of these!!! Everyone in the pictures looks like they are having the time of their life! Personally I would choose the tough mudder because it has more obstacle courses and is a little more challenging! Besides all the racing and stuff, who doesn't like to get all wet outdoors on a nice spring day! The cherry on top, get to see your girl wrestling in the mud!!! What guy doesn't want to see that??? So go be a bad A and get tough!!!

Tough Mudder

Dirty Dash

If you have any spring date ideas please share them. Spring is the time to fall in love all over again and again! We love all the creative ideas we can get!!!

How many times have you heard, "Honesty is the best policy?" Is it really? Honesty is the best policy when the timing is right and when it is not brutal. These are times when the timing isn't right: When you find yourself or your partner in a bad mood, a stressed out situation, when your partner isn't listening, or when either of you are angry. This can lead to beating an issue to death, closing lines of communication, taking an issue deeper into negativity, or belittling or shaming each other. Harriet Lerner says all that I'm trying to say in a tiny precise package, "Timing and tact in marriage are not the opposite of honesty. When emotions are running high, timing and tact are precisely what make honesty possible."

We all know this game. One of you mentions a past experience and then you both recall memories of that event. For this tip we are adding a sex spin to it. Play the remember when game but only bring up moments when you were having amazing sex. The next time you are relaxing together say something like, "Remember when we were at the gym and we got risky, frisky, and hot." Or mention a vacation when you didn't leave your hotel room until noon. Sharing these memories will let him know that you are thinking of him in a sexual way. Reminiscing together about these past sexual experiences will pave the way for a new sexy memory. Not only will this initiate sex but will also support the fact that you're a strong couple with lasting experiences that have deepened your bond together.

Lay out a blanket and pillows on the grass in your yard. Lay down and enjoy the stars together, maybe even pick out your favorite constellations. Once the star game gets boring enjoy the moon together, maybe get a little frisky in the moonlight and really enjoy the night!

18 April 2012

"I am lost I am vain, I would never be the same without you, without you. I would run, I would fly, I would never make it by without you, without you. I can't rest, I can't fight, all I need is you and I, without you, without you."

17 April 2012

One of my favorite meals to cook is breakfast. I love making breakfast for brunch or dinner because it is always so pretty. I'm not an early morning gal so if we are having breakfast at the usual time, then it's something I can just mix up real quick and stick in the oven. This frittata is healthy, full of protein and veggies, and a great way to start your day! This is a perfect breakfast in bed for two solution. Also great for your busy mornings when your need breakfast on the run. Serve this at a baby shower or family brunch buffet and it will be a hit! Scooping mixture into mini pie tins makes a cute presentation and is the perfect size for one portion.

Heat oven to 400 degrees. Mix eggs, salsa, milk, salt, and pepper in a big mixing bowl, set aside. Prepare veggies and cheese. Dice the peppers, chop the tomatoes, and shred the cheese. Add the peppers, tomatoes, 1 cup cheese, spinach, and cheese into the egg mixture. Mix all ingredients together until all items are coated with egg mixture.

Place 12 mini tins on a cookie sheet. Spray tins with extra virgin olive oil. Use a 1/4 measuring cup to scoop egg mixture into mini pie tins. Fill to about 3/4 full. Sprinkle each mini frittata with cheese. Place in the oven and bake for 20 minutes or until edges are browned and egg mixture doesn't jiggle. Test with a knife if needed.

This recipe makes 12 single servings.

Notes:

Dairy free...I always make my personal frittatas without the milk and cheese. My family loves the dairy so I add it in for their frittatas. I think it tastes amazing without those add in's, and it's healthier without the dairy anyway!

No Salsa??? Omit it from the recipe and use minced jalapeno or serrano chili (I like the serranos cause they are hot!).